Adjustable shelf-support



G. R. SPERL AND A. W. MIE'R OW.

ADJUSTABLE-SHELF SUPPORT. APPLICATION FILED APR. 29. 1920.

1,387,950. Patented Aug. 16,1921.

ATTORNEYS entree STATES PATENT-- osrrcs.

GUSTAV IR. SPERL AND ARTHUR W. MIEROW, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSINADJUSTABLE SHELF-SUPPORT. v

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 29, 1920; Serial No. 377,611.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that we, GUSTAV R. SPERL and ARTHUR V. MIEROW, citizens ofthe United States, and residents of Milwaukee,

in the county 'of Milwaukee and State of -lVisconsin, have invented newand useful Improvements in Adjustable Shelf-Supports, of which thefollowing is a description, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, which are a part of this specification. I

The present invention relates to certain new and useful improvements inshelf or rack supports for ovens, and refers more particularlytoadjustable shelf supports.

Numerous adjustable shelf supports have been devised, but all of thesehave been objectionable as they accommodate but one shelf which is notremovable and they are also very complicated in construction andvconsequently expensive to produce.

Hence with the above and other objections in mind this invention has forone of its objects to provide an adjustable shelf support for ovens inwhich one or more shelves may be accommodated and in which the shelvesare removable.

Another object of this invention is to provide an. adjustable shelfsupport for ovens which will be of extremely simple construction andconsequently comparatively in.- expensive to produce and which will beefficient and positive in operation.

A further object of the present invention is to provide an adjustableshelf support for ovens having means exteriorly of the ovens forpermitting the ready adjustment thereof and having simple and efiicientmeans for retaining the same in adjustable position.

A more specific object of this invention is 'to provide a shelfsupporting frame which is so constructed and guided upon guide rods asto provide a strong but'light' shelf su port.

ith the above andother objects in view I which will appear as thedescription proceeds, our invention resides in the novel construction,combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter,described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, itbeing understood that such changes "in the precise embodiment of e theherein disclosed invention may be made as come withint'he scope of theclaims.

In the accompanying drawing we have illustrated one complete example ofthe physical embodiment of o ur invention constructed according to thebest mode we have so far devised for the practical applicat1on of theprinciples thereof, and in which:

Figure 1 1s a view looking at the front of an oven equipped with ourimproved adustable shelf support, the oven door being open to permit aview of the device;

1g. 2 IS a fragmentary view part in sectlon and part in elevationillustrating the manner of guiding the adjusting cables, said view beingtaken on the plane indicated by the line 22 of Fig. 1;

1g 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of anlnterior of an ovenillustrating our improved adjustable shelf support, parts there of beingbroken away; an

Fig. 4 is a detailed perspective view of the means employed forretaining the shelf su port in an adjusted position.

eferring now more particularly to the Patented Aug. 1 6.1921,

accompanying drawing, 5 designates an oven of any desired constructionhaving its bak ng compartment normally closed by a door or the like 6,and 7 designates a shelf or rack positioned within the bakingcompartment and upon which is rested the food being cooked.

In-the present instance, the shelf 7 is arranged to be raised or loweredby means p0- sitioned outwardly of the oven to control the heat to thearticle being baked by moving the shelf nearer to or farther from theupper part of the oven and to also permit the circulation of the warmair beneath the shelf. In the present instance this is accomplished byour improved form of shelf support and means for adjusting the same nowabout to be described.

Mounted in the oven near each corner thereof is a vertical rod 9.securedin position in any desired manner and having mounted thereon atubular guide portion 10 of substantially U-shape in cross section. Thetubular portions 10 have laterally directed ears 11 formed on theirupper and lower ends to which are secured channeled members 12 whichconnect the tubular por-- tions 10 at each side of the oven. Thechanneled members 12 provide the racks for removably receiving theshelves 7 and also serve to retain the tubular portions upon the rods 9as best shown in Fig. 3.

The tubular portions 10 provide the guide means for the adjustable shelfsupport and also prevent the tipping of the support and providemeansvfor forming a strong structure. The framework thus formed isfurther braced by two transverse bars 13 connecting the forward ends andthe rear ends to the lowermost channel members 12 as best shown in Figs.1 and 3. This construction provides a shelf support which is freelymovable verticallyupon the guide rods, and means are provided for movingthe same to different positions of adjustment without the necessity ofopening the oven door.

The means for adjusting the shelf support comprises two flexible cables14 and 15.

connected to the lowermost channel members 12 medially of their ends.The cable 14 passes upwardly from its channel member 12 and is guidedover a pulley 16 journaled in a bracket 17 secured to'the side wall ofthe oven near the top thereof and passes across the oven and is thentrained about a guide pulley 18 secured on the outside of the oppositeside wall of the'oven in a bracket The cable 15 passes upwardly from itschannel member 12 and is guided over a pulley 20 secured in a bracket 21fixed to the adjacent oven wall near the top thereof, and passes throughthe upper .wall and then downwardly over a pulley 22, also secured inthe bracket 19.

The ends of the cables 14 and'15" positioned outwardly of the oven arethen secured as at 23 to the upper end of a linked cable or chain 24which has a handle 25 secured to its other end. As will be readilyobvious, when the handle 25is pulled downwa'rdly, the shelf support willbe raised and when the pull thereof is released the oven shelf will bepermitted to lower, and the shelf supporting frame is retained inadjusted position by means readily releasably engaging the chain 24.

The means for retaining the shelf support in adjusted position consistsof a latch member 26 secured as at 27 to the outer wall of the ovenadjacent the chain 24 and having a reduced downwardly curved end 28which is engageable within any one of the links forming the chain 24.When the shelf support has been moved to the desired adjusted positionthe same is secured therein by engaging the end 28 of the latch memberwithin the link bf the chain there adjacent, and when it is desired tochange the adjustment of the oven the link is disengaged from the latchmember by pulling downwardly and outwardly on the handle 25.

What we claim as our invention is:

1. In a device of the class described, the Q combination of a pluralityof guide rods, a shelf, a-plurality of members associated with saidshelf and slidably engaging said .respec tive rods, said memberscooperating with said rods to maintain said shelf substantiallyhorizontally when it is raised or lowered, and a cable associated withsaid shelf for rajising or lowering the shelf relative to said. ro s.

2. In a device of the class described, the combination'of a plurality ofguide rods, a shelf supporting frame, a plurality of members carried bysaid frame and slidably engaging said respective rods, said memberscooperating with said rods to maintain said frame substantiallyhorizontally when the frame is raised or lowered, and a cable connectedto said frame for raising or lowering the frame relative-to said rods.

3. In an oven, the combination of a plurality of substantially verticalguide rods rigidly positioned'in said oven, a shelf,.a plurality ofmembers associated with said shelf and slidably engaging said respectiverods, said members cooperating with said rods to maintain said shelfsubstantially horizontally when it is raised or lowered,

cables connected to said shelf, and pulleys Y mounted in the upperportion of the oven over which said cables run whereby said shelf may beraised or lowered relative to said rods.

4. In anoven, the combination of a plurality of substantially verticalguide rods rigidly positioned in said oven, a shelf, a plurality ofmembers associated with said shelf and slidably engaging said respectiverods, said members cooperating with said rods to maintain said shelfsubstantially horizontally when it is raised or lowered, pulleys mountedin the upper portion of the oven, cables leading from the outside ofsaid oven and running over said pulleys,'the inner ends of said cablesbeing connected to said shelf, and a hook member secured to the outerside of said oven to which the outer ends of said cables may beconnected, whereby said shelf. may be maintained at various elevationson said rods.

In testimony whereof we affix our signatures.

GUSTAV R. SPERL. ARTHUR W. MIEROW.

